One Des Moines teen spent Martin Luther King Jr. Day trying to make a difference by giving back to a community that's given so much to him.

One Des Moines teen spent Martin Luther King Jr. Day trying to make a difference by giving back to a community that's given so much to him.

Share

Shares

Copy Link

{copyShortcut} to copy
Link copied!

Updated: 7:25 AM CST Jan 21, 2014

Hide TranscriptShow Transcript

WEBVTT ISAIAH DOESN'T COMPLAIN SO I DRAW A LOT OF STRENGTH FROM HIM. While most kids were sleeping in and enjoying a day off school... One Des Moines teen spent the day trying to make a difference by giving back to a community that's given so much to him. KCCI's Laura Nichols shows us why his message could save lives. Every year more than 9- million people donate blood. But rarely do they get to see where it's going...Or look into the eyes of someone it helps... GOOD TURNOUT. IT'S BEEN BUSY ALL SAY.. 16 year old Isaiah Newsome's life depends on blood donations. A blood disorder called sickle cell anemia prevents his body from creating healthy red blood cells...and leaves him in a lot of pain. AS A PARENT YOU JUST SIT THERE AND THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO HELP HIM FELL BETTER. Every three weeks Isaiah's mom watches him go through a blood exchange at Blank Children's Hospital -- a machine removes his blood and pumps him with donor blood. He's used so much blood over the past 13 years...that Isaiah knew he wanted to do something to pay it forward... I JUST KIND OF WANTED TO FIND A WAY TO GIVE BACK. Monday he hosted a blood drive -- more than one hundred people walked through the doors here at the Grubb YMCA IT'S BEEN PEOPLE THAT HE'S WORKED WITH A BLANK. IT'S BEEN TEACHERS. IT'S BEEN STUDENTS. IT'S BEEN PEOPLE THAT HAVE SEEN THERE'S A BLOOD DRIVE AND COMING IN. I'VE DONATED BLOOD BEFORE AND I'VE NEVER REALLY KNOWN WHAT I WAS DOING OR HOW IT ACTUALLY MADE A DIFFERENCE Donors also got the chance to sign up for the bone marrow registry. A bone marrow transplant has a strong chance of curing Isaiah's sickle cell anemia....and doctors have urged him to get it before he's 17...that's one year away. IT MEANS A LOT BECAUSE IT COULD PRETTY MUCH CHANGE MY LIFE AND I COULD BE ONE-HUNDRED PERCENT BETTER. Until then he'll continue to be the face of a cause near and dear to his heart. I CAN'T WAIT FOR HIM TO BE CURED BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S COMING! Isaiah is hopeful he could find his bone marrow match from today's drive. To sign up to be on the bone marrow registry...it's really easy...all you have to do is go online to BE THE MATCH-dot-org.

Advertisement

Teen in need gives back with blood drive

One Des Moines teen spent Martin Luther King Jr. Day trying to make a difference by giving back to a community that's given so much to him.